By Farshid Aram*  In early October 2023, Golandam* was in the final days of her pregnancy. The 32-year-old, who lives in the village of Nayeb

By Shuhab Aryaee*  Shams ul-Haq* is a Gujar living in one of the remote villages of Tagab district, Badakhshan province. With his greying hair and

By Barfin*  After completing the twelfth grade, Sanam* got a government job in one of the departments of Afghanistan’s Ministry of Interior in April 2018.

By Sana Atif* and Mahsa Elham*  Saira is a 43-year-old woman who works 16 hours a day in one of the rural villages in the

By Shuhab Aryaee*  Shuhra* was in the eighth grade in Faizabad city, the capital of Badakhshan province, when the Taliban banned girls from attending school

By Laila Khamoosh*  Sohaila* hides her hands so no one notices the blisters on her palms and fingers. From a distance, I watch her skillfully

By Ferdaws Andishmand*  Around a decade ago, Leqa*, a middle-aged Jogi woman, and her family moved from a tent into a simple mud home built

By Farshid Aram*  Masouma* and her husband were returning home from a morning shopping trip in Zendajan district of Herat province when a severe earthquake

By Lala Shams*  At 27 years old, Sama is at the peak of her young life. She’s also increasingly despondent. Sama* illegally entered Pakistan via

By Atia FarAzar* and Mahsa Elham*  As I enter her room, Golchehra* turns her face away, unwilling to talk. Her young forehead should be smooth